The Pied Piper of Hamelin

By Michael Morpurgo

2011

First Published

3.92

Average Rating

Number of Pages

2H41M

Audio Length

The classic tale takes on modern themes in a retelling by master storyteller Michael Morpurgo, aided by Emma Chichester Clark's bright illustrations. In the town of Hamelin, the rich folk live high off the hog, while the poor and sick must scavenge in the trash that’s left behind. And that trash keeps building up and up until a horde of rats overruns the town. In this lively retelling, a spunky street kid narrates the age-old tale of a piper who offers to rid a town of its rats for a single gold coin, then lures away the town’s children when the greedy mayor reneges on the deal. With a nod to contemporary social and environmental themes, former British Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo and illustrator Emma Chichester Clark team up to charm readers with a compelling—and ultimately hopeful—take on a timeless story.

Avg Rating

3.92

Number of Ratings

161

5 STARS

31%

4 STARS

40%

3 STARS

21%

2 STARS

1 STARS

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Author

Michael Morpurgo

Author · 138 books

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.